African American Children and Religion Research Proposal

African American Children and Religion - Research Proposal Example Others have limited their coverage of the research population, excluding young African-Americans for a variety of reasons. This researcher, however, believes that there is an urgent need for research that highlights the positive aspects of the social behavior of today’s generation of young African-Americans, using data involving a youth research population. It is hoped that such an investigation of an important and growing sector of contemporary American society would contribute to knowledge of African-American culture, more specifically on the aspect of psychology of religion. It is further hoped that the results would provide concrete strategies for action that would inspire present and future generations of African-American families and youth to perform their important role in strengthening a nation founded on and inspired by Christian ideals. Aims of the Study The aims of this study are as follows: 1. To determine the impact of religious practice or non-practice on the social attitudes and behavior of African-American children from the ages 8 to 19 residing in a specific community. 2. To examine the religion-based determinants of positive social attitudes and behavior. 3. To identify and describe the positive religious practice role models of the research population under study. Hypothesis The study will test the following hypotheses: 1. African-American children who engage in positive religious practices develop positive social attitudes and exhibit positive social behavior (H.1). 2. African-American children who do not engage in any type of religious practice do not develop positive social attitudes and exhibit negative social behavior (H.2). Review of Literature and Preliminary Discussions One of America's founding fathers, Benjamin Franklin, stated that "religion will be a powerful regulator of our actions, give us peace and tranquility within our minds, and render us benevolent, useful and beneficial to others" (Isaacson, 2003, p. 87-88). Over the last quarter of a millennium, American society has undergone a seismic shift in several aspects, more notably in the role of religion and the belief that its practice has beneficial effects on society. Several studies (Paul, 2005; Inglehart and Baker, 2000; Idler and Kasl, 1992) have attempted to show the correlation between America's social problems and the negative effects of secularization on the practice of religion, and that such a development would have detrimental consequences to the future of democracy. Aral and Holmes (1996) and Hummer et al. (1999) also showed that this phenomenon is evident not only in America but also in other developed democracies such as Europe and Japan. On the contrary, they argue, democratic nations such as those in predominantly Catholic Latin America and in parts of Africa with societies influenced by Christianity (such as Angola, Democratic Republic of Congo, and Ethiopia) where the people are noted for religiosity often exhibit the worst forms of social behavior. In another study, Barro and McCleary (2003) used the term "spiritual capital" in reference to the social benefits that proceed with the practice of religion. They concluded that Americ a's deep social problems in a period of great economic prosperity and the highest expenditures for health care among